Youth Instruction and Kayak Club

If you live in Missoula and have a son or daughter with an interest in learning to kayak, the Zoo Town Surfers youth kayak club is without exception the most affordable and experienced option in the region. Zoo Town Surfers has been providing quality youth whitewater programs since 2003. Created specifically for local youngsters and teens, the kayak club creates the opportunity to kayak safely through a fun and supportive club atmosphere. Students are placed in groups according to their skill level with an emphasis on fundamental concepts, from technique to river awareness. Providing parents the convenience of transportation from Missoula to the river, and back, Zoo Town Surfers takes students to the river every week — all summer long! The program has successfully taught numerous teens the sport of kayaking, facilitating their progression into competent whitewater enthusiasts under the tutelage of skilled instructors, mentors, and positive peer interaction.

Participants in the Zoo Town Surfers kayak club pay annual dues and are organized into three skill level groups: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. From June-August these groups meet weekly for transportation to the river for supervised and coached kayaking sessions. Any student in a more advanced group may also join a group with less experience on any given afternoon, with beginners meeting on Tuesdays, intermediates on Wednesdays, and advanced paddlers on Thursdays. Every session meets at Caras Park in downtown Missoula at 3:30 p.m. to load the vehicle and depart for the river. All river sessions are level appropriate, allowing participants to have fun and to continually progress throughout the summer. It is common for motivated beginners who sign up in June to be paddling all three days by the end of August.

Annual dues include transportation and supervision by certified coaches, with additional kayaking professionals participating periodically as guest instructors. Equipment is available for summer rental on a first-come, first-serve basis and any of our instructors are willing to advise students regarding the most appropriate and affordable options. For beginners who are looking to learn the sport (or anyone trying to remember all of his or her gear), the following items are what we call the Six Essentials and may be rented or purchased as a package deal from any of the local kayak shops. Additional gear is required for colder conditions and for more advanced students as they progress in their river-running skills and safety awareness, but these Six Essentials will get you started:

• Boat

• Helmet

• Paddle

• River Shoes

• Life Vest

• Spray Skirt
  

If you are interested in joining the ZTS kayak club, you'll want to print and fill out the following document:

Information Packet

Annual dues to participate are as follows:

*** For students who want to carry their kayaking beyond the weekly sessions, Zoo Town Surfers also offers separate out-of-town trips through World Class Kayak Academy www.worldclassacademy.com, which are available to all teenagers, regardless of whether they live in or outside Missoula.

Privacy Policy || Terms of Service || Copyright © 2004 - 2010 Zoo Town Surfers, LLC. All Rights Reserved.